Process for extracting iodin, chlorin, potassium hydroxid, and other useful products from the ash of seaweeds or other marine forms of algæ.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRANK 1K. CAMERON, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, AND RICHARD D.

MOORE, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

PROCESS FOR EXTRACTING IODIN, CHLORIN, POTASSIUM HYDROXID, AND OTHER USEFUL PRODUCTS FROM THE ASH OF SEAWEEDS OR OTHER MARINE FORMS OI! ALGE.

1,051,984. Specification of Letters Patent.

No Drawing. Application filed December 26, 1911.

Serial No. 668,007.

(DEDICATED TO THE PUBLIC.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANK K. CAMERON and RIoHARnB. Moons, citizens of the United States, and employees of the Department of Agriculture, said FRANK K. CAMERON residing in the city of Washington, Distrlct of Columbia, (whose post-office address 18 Washington, District of Columb1a,) and said Riemann B. MOORE being a legal resident of the city of Indianapolis, of the State of Indiana, temporarily residing in the city of Washington, District of Columbia, (whose post-office address is Washmgton, District of Columbia,) have invented a new and useful Process for Extracting Iodin, Chlorin, Potassium Hydroxidi, and other Useful Products from the Ash of Seaweeds or other Marine Forms of Algw.

This application is made under the act of March 3, 1883, chapter 143 (22 Stat, 625), and the invention herein described and claimed may be used by the Government of the United States or any of its officers or employees in the-prosecution of work for the United States, or by any person in the United States, without the payment of any royalty thereon.

The object of our invention is to provide a method fro extracting iodin, chlorin, potassium hydroxid and other useful products from the residue obtained by the partial or complete charring of seaweeds or other marine forms of-AZgoe.

It is well known that the residue or ash of seaweeds consists very largely of potassium chlorid with traces of iodids and other salts. By long experiments we have evolved a process for extracting these products from the ash. The separation may be performed in two ways. According to one mode of treatment the ash is lixiviated with water and the solution filtered or drawn ofi from the insoluble portion by any well known method. The solution is then evaporated until the less soluble salts crystallize out. After this operation, the mother liquor contain-ing all the soluble iodids and some of the chlorids is subjected to the following treatment: The mother li nor is placed in the anode compartment 0 an electrolytic cell. Such anode compartment is separated may be stopped and the free iodin recovered by any suitable process, such as dissolving in a solvent like carbon tetrachlorid, or carbon disulfid, but the process is preferably continued until all the salts are decomposed. A portion of the chlorin will escape at the anode and may be collected and used for any convenient purpose. The iodin meanwhile is being oxidized, at the loss of a part of the chlorin, to iodic acid. The products derived Patented Feb. 4,1913. I

are potassium hydroxid atthe cathode and chlorin and iOd'lC acid at the anode. The iodin may be recovered from the iodic acid by adding ferrous sulfate and sulfuric acid, iron and sulfuric acid, or by any other suitablemethod.

In practising our other method in treating the ash of seaweeds, we place water in both the anode and cathode compartments of an electrolytic cell, and then add the'seaweed ashes to the anode compartment. The ashes are stirred in an convenient manner and the current passe The soluble salts pass into solution and the changes that occur are the same as disclosed in the previous process, viz: potassium hydroxid being obtained atthe cathode and iodin, or chlorin and iodic acid, at the anode. The insoluble residue settles to the bottom of the anode chamber and may be dumped outor separated by any suitable process.

Having thus described our invention we I by a diaphragm, thereby oxidizing the liber the sulated iodin to iodic acid, then treatin anode solution with ferrous sulfate an furic acid for separating iodin from such iodic acid.

2. The herein described .method for extract iodin, chlorin, potassium hydroxid andot er useful products from the ash of seaweeds, consisting in lixiviating the ash by a diaphragm, thereby oxidizing the liberatecl iodin to iodic acid, then treating the anode solution with iron and sulfuric acid for separating iodin from such iodic acid.

In testimony whereof we aflix'our signatures in the presence of two subscribed witnesses.

FRANK K. CAMERON. RICHARD B. MOORE.

Witnessesz- W. O. Ronmson,

HARRY BRYAN. 

